There are still a couple of all-important double-gameweek fixtures to follow in the next couple of days (with plenty of points riding on Charlie Adam and the whole Arsenal clan), but with the next Fantasy deadline creeping up on us, it’s time to realign the crosshairs and give the fixtures a hearty frisking to assess the mid-term prospects for gameweek 28 and beyond …
The Highs…
Everton
It’s been an erratic season at best, but Everton’s penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea on Saturday will perhaps give them the boost needed to propel them up the league table. Morale isn’t the only factor in their favour – their upcoming schedule of fixtures reads like a dream. In their next six gameweeks, Everton will be playing host five times (to Sunderland, Birmingham, Fulham, Villa and Blackburn), so if they can pull up the drawbridge to “Fortress Goodison”, returns at both ends will surely pick up. A double fixture in Gameweek 29 and unintimidating away trips to Newcastle and Wolves complete a very rosy picture for the next six. Expect heavy investment.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa continue to look decidedly healthy in the “fixture frisking” stakes and it seems unlikely that this situation will change. Gerard Houllier’s side have the best fixtures until nigh on the end of the season – only a trip to Arsenal and a meet with Liverpool in the final two gameweeks appear to present obvious hurdles. In the immediate future, we will see Houllier’s men faced with a very handy set of home encounters (Blackburn, Wolves and Newcastle) that offer potential for immediate returns. Take a good look at Kyle Walker, Ashley Young and/or your Darren Bent, and consider locking at least one of them in for the foreseeable future.
Man City
Roberto Mancini’s men find “frisking favour” courtesy of their next three home games – a set of matches that will have those without Carlos Tevez, crossing all manner of fingers and limbs in forlorn hope of the Argentinian firing blanks. Besides a trip to Stamford Bridge in gameweek 30, we will see City play host to Fulham, Wigan and Sunderland; expectations will surely be high against those opponents, as Mancini’s outfit continue their push for Champions League qualification.
Also to consider: Arsenal, Spurs and Birmingham all have blanks this week but follow that with a continued run of decent opponents; Birmingham even have two more doubles to come. Stoke have a nice set of three ahead of them (WBA, whm, NEW). Newcastle, with Bolton, Everton and Wolves due at St James’ in the next four gameweeks, also warrant attention.
The Lows…
West Brom
Poor old Roy Hodgson always seems to struggle cracking a smile; the fixtures circled on his new West Brom kitchen calendar hardly give him any reason to be cheerful. Having watched his new side miss the proverbial barn door against Wolves, Hodgson has to brace himself for sterner tests in the weeks to come. Don’t be surprised to see some more of his manic face mutilation as West Brom’s easiest opponent in their next eight fixtures looks to be this week’s trip to Stoke – hardly a walk in the park. Games against Birmingham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Sunderland, Chelsea and Spurs all follow the Britannia bombardment. Points and Fantasy returns could well be thin on the ground.
Wigan
The consolation for West Brom is that fellow struggles Wigan have also been given very few favours by the fixture computer over forthcoming gameweeks. In fact, their run over the next five is positively evil. Roberto Martinez’s men will be facing off against four of the Premier League’s top five (Arsenal excluded) with their only immediate light relief being a home clash with Alex McCleish’s solid Birmingham side. Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia owners will surely be looking to ship out.
Sunderland
Sunderland have at least continued to score goals in admirable abundance since the departure of Darren Bent, but results haven’t been going their way and a quick sneak peak at their forthcoming opponents indicates that they may have to wait longer for a revival. The previously resolute Wearsider’s are definitely going to have trouble keeping sheets clean with the likes of Everton, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City in their line of sight. In attacking terms meanwhile, it could be gameweek 32, when West Brom visit the Stadium of Light, before we see Sunderland notch a decent return.
Be wary of: West Ham – Avram Grant’s relegation scrappers have some tough games against Liverpool, Spurs and United on the horizon. Blackpool – Ian Holloway’s men continue to take the strain of a testing schedule with three away games in the next four and Chelsea and Arsenal next at Bloomfield Road.
